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EDWartens UK

Free course · Software and DevOps

Linux for Engineers

Linux for engineers who build AI, IIoT, robotics and OT systems: the shell and the filesystem, text and pipes, users and permissions, packages, processes and systemd services, networking tools, SSH, Bash scripting, scheduled jobs, logs and journalctl, Raspberry Pi and edge boxes, and the basics of hardening a device.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
15
Video
19 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain where Linux runs in engineering systems and choose a distribution; move around the filesystem and edit configuration files; filter logs and data with pipes and grep; manage users, groups and sudo rights; set permissions and ownership correctly; install software with apt and Python libraries in a virtual environment; manage processes and run your own program as a systemd service; diagnose network problems with ip, ss, ping and dig; work over SSH with keys and copy files with scp and rsync; write Bash scripts with arguments, tests and exit codes; schedule jobs with cron and systemd timers; find faults with journalctl and keep disks from filling; set up a Raspberry Pi as a headless edge device; and apply first-hour hardening to a new machine.

  • Read a Linux system: kernel, distribution, version and architecture, and find help with man and --help
  • Move around the filesystem, edit configuration files with nano and answer questions about logs with pipes and grep
  • Manage users, groups and narrow sudo rules, and set permissions and ownership by number
  • Install software with apt, keep Python libraries in a virtual environment and turn on automatic security updates
  • Run your own program as a systemd service that restarts itself, and stop processes safely
  • Diagnose network faults with ip, ss, ping and dig, and work over SSH with keys, scp, rsync and tunnels
  • Write Bash scripts with arguments and exit codes, schedule them with cron or systemd timers, and keep dated backups
  • Set up a Raspberry Pi as a headless edge gateway, find faults with journalctl, and harden a new device with ufw and key-only SSH

Software

One Linux machine to practise on: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (or 24.04 LTS) in VirtualBox or UTM, WSL 2 on Windows, a Raspberry Pi with Raspberry Pi OS (Debian 13 trixie), or a small cloud server. Everything used in the course is free and open source.

Hardware

A computer that can run a virtual machine, or WSL 2 on Windows. A Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with a microSD card is useful for the edge-device module and the project but is not required.

Syllabus

15 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Why Linux, and your first terminal2 lessons
  2. 2The filesystem, paths and editing files3 lessons
  3. 3Text, pipes and searching3 lessons
  4. 4Users, groups and sudo3 lessons
  5. 5Permissions, ownership and links2 lessons
  6. 6Packages and updates3 lessons
  7. 7Processes and systemd3 lessons
  8. 8Networking tools4 lessons
  9. 9SSH, keys and copying files3 lessons
  10. 10Bash scripting1 lesson
  11. 11Automation: cron, timers and backups3 lessons
  12. 12Logs, journalctl and disk space3 lessons
  13. 13Linux on a Raspberry Pi and edge boxes3 lessons
  14. 14Hardening basics3 lessons
  15. 15Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Linux for Engineers

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • Learn Linux TV (Jay LaCroix)

    the Linux Crash Course lessons on navigating the filesystem, nano, data streams, grep, head and tail, managing groups, sudoers.d, file and directory permissions, symbolic links, the apt command, unattended upgrades, htop, systemctl, the ip, ss, ping and dig commands, connecting with SSH, public key authentication, scp, cron, systemd timers, rsync, understanding logging, journalctl, df and du, inspecting hardware, UUIDs in fstab, getting started with Raspberry Pi, the first things to do on a new server, UFW and securing OpenSSH

  • NetworkChuck

    the Linux for Hackers series: the first look at Linux, getting help, the Linux file system, users and sudo, package management with apt, dpkg and pip, and managing and killing processes, plus the 60 Linux commands review before the final

  • freeCodeCamp.org

    the Bash scripting tutorial for beginners

Questions

About this course

Who is this course for?
Engineers, technicians and students working in AI and machine learning, industrial IoT, OT security or robotics who meet Linux on gateways, robot computers, servers and containers. No Linux or programming experience is needed.
Which Linux do I need?
Any current Debian-family system: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS in a free virtual machine (on an Apple silicon Mac, use the ARM64 image in UTM), WSL 2 on Windows, or Raspberry Pi OS on a Raspberry Pi. The networking and firewall modules work best on a virtual machine or a Pi rather than WSL.
Do I need a Raspberry Pi?
No. A Pi makes the edge-device module and the project more realistic, and it is the only way to try a real serial port, but a virtual machine with a second virtual disk covers every other step.
Is this Linux+ or LPIC preparation?
No. It is a practical course for engineering work, not preparation for CompTIA Linux+, LPI or Linux Foundation exams, and EDWartens is not affiliated with Canonical, the Linux Foundation or Raspberry Pi Ltd.
What should I take after this course?
Docker and containers for engineers, ROS 2 robot programming, MLOps, Node-RED for industrial IoT and the OT security assessment course all assume you can work at a Linux prompt, and each builds directly on what you learn here.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the project and the final assessment. The only paid item is the certificate, if you want it.
What certificate do I get?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a number anyone can verify on our site. It is not a vendor or exam-board certification.
How long does the course take?
About 19 hours of video lessons, notes and practice, taken at your own pace; the videos alone are about 14 hours. The optional project takes about 12 hours more.
What is the project?
You rebuild the Raspberry Pi gateway that collects energy-meter readings at a dairy plant so it survives power cuts, full disks and failed SD cards: named users, the collector as a systemd service, data on an SSD mounted by UUID, nightly dated backups, capped logs, key-only SSH and a default-deny firewall. A complete sample pack shows the build procedure, address plan, service register, commissioning test record and risk register.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module